North Campus Neighborhood Association Works on Maintenance at the UNM North Golf Course

In an effort to help preserve green space at UNM, the North Campus Neighborhood Association is working with UNM's private contractor Mountain West GolfScapes to maintain the beauty of UNM's North golf course. As UNM struggles with serious budget limits and probable new cuts in funding from the New Mexico legislature, some maintenance activities are feeling the pinch.

Last fall the Public Service Company of New Mexico did routine tree trimming of the elms along the 4th and 5th holes in the utility easement area. At the urging of the neighborhood association, they also did extra trimming of nearby trees to ensure the safety of users of the course and to improve the general health of the trees. But the association believed more was needed and rented "cherry picker" equipment to allow workers to be hosted up to do more trimming. The maintenance company footed the labor cost for workers to trim about 100 trees surrounding the course.

In addition, with the help of County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, the association arranged for workers in the community release program at the Metropolitan Detention Center to come for two days in May to assist in a cleanup of the area around the perimeter of the course.

Many of the trees are large and nearing the end of their life span so Sara Koplik, president of NCNA, says they plan to initiate a "tree party" this spring to raise funds to replenish and supplement the current trees on the golf course.

Director of Golf Courses at UNM, George Trujeque says, "It has been extremely gratifying to see the positive involvement by the NCNA at the North Golf Course. A special thanks to Tim Davis and all involved in support of the tree work and the collaboration with Mountain West GolfScapes in addressing a decades long liability to UNM and danger to those who use the course for golf and recreation." Trujeque also says he is happy to hear of the neighborhood watch to ward off vandalism at the course.